Living in Gusinje is a privilege, and yet there are those who behave irresponsibly and do not protect it, he says. Dino Mulamekic, "the most beautiful piece of land".
This, he says, is what motivated him and what motivates him to fight for a free Potter, shallow streams, rivers full of fish, wild mountains...
Mulamekić is one of the winners of the Eco Ambassador award for 2023, awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The Eco Ambassador Award is one of my favorite awards. That moment when I received the invitation, initially for the volunteer award, meant a lot to me, because you no longer feel that you are alone, the feeling that someone is following what you are doing, even though it is quite often a struggle 'behind the scenes', especially in small communities. That feeling is incomparable, because the fight for preservation and at the same time promotion is like a fight with windmills. They always target you in society, but never directly," he told "Vijesti".
Awards for contribution to nature conservation, except for Mulamekić, were awarded To Vuk Saičić, Predrag Tomović ("Eyes of Podgorica"), director Mladen Ivanovic and RTCG journalist Danijelo Garić from Podgorica, Patricia Pobrić from Tivat, Zenepi Liki from Ulcinj, "Vijesti" correspondents from Kolašin Dragana Šćepanović, Ivan Čogurić ("Ecopatriotism") from Nikšić and Đuiliji Kardović from Rožaj.
Individuals who fight for a healthy environment are sometimes lonely in their environments, and we heard about several of them at the award ceremony.
Dino says that he no longer feels that way, because he received support in the fight for clean water in Gusinje.
"I must mention that this year we have in the fight for water, specifically Grnčar, a man, an inspector who got a job after many years, and who worked even before his job - as a volunteer, at a time when it was not allowed. An inspector who does his job excellently and it is much easier to work with such people, I am grateful Omar Bašić", said Mulamekić.
When he talks about the biggest environmental problems and the most critical points in the Plav-Gusin area, which are worth preserving, he says that the problems are yet to come, that the area has been "untouched for centuries", that we are living in a time when everything is more visible and becomes viral, and that it is not I'm sure if those who decide to do it, know how to preserve and use the beauty of that area in the right way.
“Certainly not the way we started. For example, towers that are over 100 years old are being demolished, and luxurious, new ones are being built. The most read magazines, the most famous TV stations report about this region as the last unexplored and wild part in Europe. We had enormous pressure, even at the state level, lobbying for music festivals to take place in the heart of the Prokletije National Park, the Grebaje Valley, the Fiya Festival (a festival like Exit). I don't like to talk about the problems, but we have to preserve Grnčar, a river that is of national importance, a river from which gravel has been exploited for years, a river that has taken away hectares of land, which causes damage every year and because of whose exploitation Plavsko jezero is disappearing," says Mulamekić.
Instead, Grnčar, he adds, could offer a different and new type of tourist offer in the area, such as fly fishing, kayaking, promenades along the river, a large sports and recreation center...
"Because of all these activities, I believe that tourists would stay longer in our town. The current problem is the way some want to solve the forest problem. My position is clear in that field, you should listen to the profession," he says.
Earlier it was announced that Gusinje, through the pilot, was included in the project for a place with zero waste.
"I was part of the project as someone who has been working on environmental protection for years, and at the beginning I was part of the team until the first meeting, after which I saw that things were going in the wrong direction. The idea is excellent, perfect, the rest is not. I see this project as a failure, or rather us, who were represented by some, but did not take advantage of the benefits that the whole city would really feel", he said briefly about it.
When he talks about what led him to the path he is on now, he says that living in such a colorful place is a privilege for him.
"The childhood offered by Gusinjska čaršija does not exist anywhere else. Every morning, the view of the big playground, as if all the mountains of this world were above Gusinje, that's how I looked at it as a child and dreamed, dreamed. The freedom we have, I can't compare it to anything. And for everything that is an enormous wealth for me, I think that we still treat it ungratefully, we don't preserve and love this most beautiful piece of land enough. All that made me and makes me repay this place, for carefreeness and freedom, a free Potter, drinkable streams, rivers full of fish, wild mountains", says the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
And he continues to list all the gems of Gusinje and its surroundings.
"Around the 'flat Gusinje', wayward mountain rivers meander and merge, calmed by the plain. The potential we have, the water we don't use, in a radius of 20 kilometers. We have the most attractive canyon, Grlje Canyon, which is 500 meters long. The river Ljuča, which with its meanders captivates for kayaking, Vruja, which consists of Alipaša's springs, the largest karst spring in Montenegro, is the largest natural spawning ground of mud trout, an endemic species and brook trout. A periodic canyon in the Grebaja valley, as well as the waterfall of the same name, which is the largest in the territory of Gusinje. When we protect the rivers and dedicate ourselves to them, we will also get a new tourist offer. And in 2019, we hosted the European fly fishing championship," says Dino.
Mulamekić has been a guide for eight years, leading hiking and adventure tours and, according to him, the attitude of foreigners towards nature is different from that of locals.
"They admire the nature we have, and when you admire something, you will protect it. Our value system is disturbed", says Dino and adds that it should be corrected through education and training, as well as a change in penal policy.
It makes him happy, because I see that Gusinje is no longer just a passing stop, but that guests stay there and actively spend their vacations.
"From mountain trails, cycling trails, we also have sports routes for climbing (over 100), canyoning, kayaking, fly fishing, skiing through deep and untrodden snow, popular ski touring, mountain lakes, unexplored caves..." he said. .
He also adds that, apart from social networks, the opening of the road from Podgorica, through Albania, also had a major influence on the change in how Gusinje is perceived:
"The trip through Albania, after social networks, had the greatest impact on positioning ourselves and being what we are today, and today, according to 'National Geography', for the year 2024, we are the most attractive location to visit in Europe. And year after year we record record seasons. And there will be, I hope, the year when we will do planned and winter tourism".
Volušnica, Three Faiths Street, Hachajlija...
According to Dino, the day is too short to visit Gusinje, but for those who decide to do something like that, he recommends climbing to Volušnica.
"It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful hiking trails. The view is unreal, it is also the path that made us a top destination of this type of tourism," he says.
For those who are not used to hiking, he recommends that you definitely visit the street of faith - three places of worship in the same street (Orthodox and Catholic church and mosque), Gusinjska soba, Grebaja valley, Ropojana valley, Alipašina springs...
To all that, he added a goose kitchen.
"Češkek with gunguljoša, kačamak, hačajljija, tulumba... There is not much, but it is worth looking for in restaurants and households", recommends Dino.
Bonus video:
